Found another PTT headset with an oddball connector. What would it take to bring this into computer production use, i.e., to use with Unity or Space Comms?
ASKED BY · David Brady · NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK · 23 OCT 2026 · ▶ 00:40:42
Chris recommended the Clearcom HS6 as a proper modern alternative, which has a standard 4-pin XLR adapter and costs around $300.
Courtney explained that the old carbon microphone design generates voltage and won't work when plugged into a computer with standard impedance and voltage, requiring an old telephone system.
Fenwick humorously proposed putting an SM58 capsule inside the bakelite handset as a solution.
Jason explained the connector is an old MA Bell dual AT 213 plug design, warned that push-to-talk would short the mic on iPhone, and suggested hollowing out a custom rig or using an AirPod instead.
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40:29And that's where I think the real fun is because you get to see all the different people that are working at Office Hours. It's a huge community, and we'd love you to be a part of it. Officehours.global slash join. Sign up there and get on the inside track. Next question. this is coming in from david brady new york city new york found another ptt headset with an oddball
40:51connector what would it take to bring this into computer production use i.e to use with unity or space comms jason oh boy i can just picture david brady going this pleases me like you know straight Straight up. Okay. So here, for those who don't have the link, this is a very old school. It's basically like, you know, an old school helicopter mic.
41:18It's a dual AT, what, 213 plug with like, you know, that five-eighths of an inch apart thing they did where, did I get it? Yes. Look at that. So think of the airline pilots in the 80s. I don't know. Like this is a truly old school Ma Bell thing. Um, problem with this is because it's push to talk, you would short the mic if you used push to talk and that would do for the iPhone,
41:46what, um, what the little clicky button always does. So this would be, this would be a seriously, um, engaged piece of engineering. Um, honestly, like, I think you should just hollow out your your own little phone thing and just put an AirPod in it in true to fashion, true to fashion, painty thing reference to earlier in the show. Chris Sabato. So if you,
42:16I think this question is kind of jokey, but if you, if you actually want a headset, I would, would take a look at the Clearcom HS6, which is, actually a newer design like this is for for plugging into a clearcom belt pack and it's it's just a you know it's a regular mic and headphone with a push to talk on the thing and
42:41it's the only kind of it's 300 oh yeah i mean sometimes you got to pay for the for the for the good stuff right oh this was made in portland for sure it's 300 but it's made with bagelite Yeah, it's got a standard 4-pin XLR that you could adapt out into a regular mic and headset plug. So there's your easy way to do it.
43:05For the record, David Brady's been looking for this product for months now, and I'm with him 100%. David, I think you and I should just go into business and start making them ourselves. I'm willing to buy a soldering iron. The same. Courtney? Yeah, somebody makes a plug-in for a phone mic that is a handset. The one that you pointed to is old-school telephone company-type stuff that uses carbon mics in it, which generate voltage.
43:36So they're not electric condensers or anything in there. So wiring it for a push-to-talk system into a computer, which probably has five volts going down, it would not be very good. I don't think it would be able to work. You have to plug it into an old telephone system that's designed for the impedance of those old carbon mics and carbon transducers for the earpiece.
44:00Fenwick? I'm going to put an SM58 capsule inside the Bakelite handset and the little speaker. We have beaten this horse to death. No, no, this is a real problem, Jason. I think you need to be a little bit more sensitive. This is something that has to happen. We do need to have a good push to talk. talk uh the question is what are you gonna actually plug it into David what do you think
44:23the ultimate I mean I mean ultimately it probably needs to be a USB device and now we're getting complicated wants to leave his iPhone on his belt and he wants to go hang on no hello he wants it for Zoom meetings he wants to be able to just pick it up and go hey that's better that's the wrong thing we should do it like this you should get a tactical throat mic like you know in the original
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